China Aug exports fall 5.5%, but imports disappoint

China's August exports fell a less than expected 5.5 percent from a year earlier, while imports declined by 13.8 percent.

That left the country with a trade surplus of USD 60.24 billion for the month, the General Administration of Customs said on Tuesday, compared with forecasts of USD 48.20 billion.

Economists polled by Agency had expected dollar-denominated exports to fall 6.0 percent, after a sharp drop of 8.3 percent in July, and predicted imports would fall by 8.2 percent, worsening from a 8.1 percent drop in July.

Global investors will be closely watching China's August data over coming weeks to see if the economy is at risk of a hard landing.

Though most economists believe a gradual and prolonged slowdown is more likely, a stock market crash and the unexpected devaluation of the yuan currency in August have heightened concerns about stability in the world's second-largest economy.